More Than Hearing

Hey, welcome back! I really like the picture above. I love tulips, but we cannot have any around our house, because foraging four-legged critters love them, too! *chomp* We can see what color these will be, but they are not yet fully emerged. The passages for today contain within them elements that are emerging. In the Isaiah passage, the servant that God has chosen is still discovering the mission God wants done through him. The Psalm as it is presented is a sort of “light lament,” but the verses that did not get included emerge as a full lament. Paul has some advice for the Corinthians, but first, he wants to establish the basis for their relationship before any of it emerges. And in John’s Gospel, the Lamb of God approaches, and two of John’s disciples decide to follow. Their conversation with Jesus points to an emerging discipleship.

Three years ago, we had a photo from space, questions about which verb tense to use to define our personal journey of faith, and Holy Ghost orchids! We also seem to have a bit of overlap with this year’s offerings, especially in music. That must be why we liked them so much! Take a look at the show notes and worksheets at this link: Year A, Ordinary 2, 2017.

David noticed that some words in the passage are defined by John three different times. That John does this throughout the Gospel reveals he was writing to people who were unfamiliar with the Jewish roots of the faith (or at least the Hebrew language. For WORD smart, ask people about their experiences of being in a setting where the language is unfamiliar; it may be a language that is not your native tongue, or it could be someone is using a lot of vernacular idioms or slang. Try using a translation that is different from usual, and be open to what new understanding emerges from that. For EYE smart, if you still have the balloon doves from last week, put them to use again, because this passage is John’s version of Jesus’ baptism. We offer an anthem with an intense video for MUSIC smart. Ask your congregation to consider what would happen if you suddenly started following a stranger pointed out to you for a PEOPLE smart exercise. And for SELF smart, remember a time when you just jumped into a situation without knowing the ending or even thinking through the beginning. We have some examples to illustrate this.

• WORD smart – [04:44]
  •  Psalm 23 in the Orthodox Jewish Bible
• EYE smart – [07:53]
  •  the dove balloon idea from last week!
• MUSIC smart – [08:15]
  • Could There Be Peace?
• PEOPLE smart – [09:28]
• SELF smart – [10:38]

Paul’s letters to the Corinthians reveal ways a church can operate, both in an ideal and a real world. As he begins his letter, he uses language that will be the prism through which everything else will be seen. For WORD smart, think about a time when you received written communication that you knew would approach a difficult situation; what words were used to begin the conversation? We have a poem that reminds us the work of the church goes on, as well as an article about the passage from The Christian Century. We also have an idea for a choral reading of a poem written by John van de Laar. For EYE smart, find some balloons, a fan, and a weight. Use them to make a mini-hot air balloon to demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit and Jesus’ grounding in faith. For BODY smart, label some weights with words Paul uses to define life in Christ and then lift them! We recommend a couple “oldie but goodie” hymns for MUSIC smart. Some commentary by Bill Loader made us think about why we “train” as disciples, so invite your congregation to ponder the questions we have – and add your own! And for SELF smart, has anyone ever begun a tough conversation with you about your relationship by giving thanks to God for you? What emerged from that?

• WORD smart – [13:01]
  • Pulpit Fiction, a podcast by Eric C. Fistler and Robb McCoy
  • “Sacredise” by John van de Laar
    • The Call of Compassion – download the worksheet to see how David arranged this to a choral reading!
  • The Work of Christmas by Howard Thurman
  • This article by Douglas Campbell in The Christian Century
• EYE smart – [16:03]
• BODY smart – [17:32]
• MUSIC smart – [18:30]
  • A Charge to Keep Have I, Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
  • The Church’s One Foundation, Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839-1900
• PEOPLE smart – [18:52]
  • commentary by Bill Loader
• SELF smart – [20:41]

Even though we skipped over WORD smart (check out the worksheet to see what we suggested), David has a story for EYE smart. It seems unusual to put it here, except for the visual imagery in the story, and the fact that the main character points out a savior – the way John does in the Gospel! For MATH smart, we wonder if you all can list the ways you are grateful to God – can you get to a million? It may take a while! For BODY smart, bring in items that help us keep our footing secure, and try some strengthening exercises right there in the pews! Finally, for NATURE smart, study up on bogs and why they can be hazardous. It may help explain why the psalmist is so grateful God helped him emerge from his. We have a WORD smart crossover calling to mind literary bogs.

• EYE smart – [22:57]
• MATH smart – [24:38]
  • How long does it take to count to one million?
• BODY smart – [25:19]
• Music smart stayed on the shelf, but here are some songs you might use!
  • “40” by U2 – this got resurrected from three years ago!
  • I Say Yes sound sample by Brenda Pena
  • New Song (scroll down to the album “Little Miracles”) by Andra Moran
  • A psalm refrain, if you do that kind of thing!
• NATURE smart – [26:20]
  • A mire forms through “incomplete decomposition” which is a little gross.
  • This is a rather long article from Smithsonian Magazine about Tollund Man, a “bog body” found in 1950 in Denmark.

David thinks this passage can be illuminated with the absolute value of numbers for MATH smart. I got there, eventually. Amy Oden’s commentary got me to thinking about the disorientation of the people being swept into captivity and now promised a return. The actual events emerged slowly but for BODY smart, illustrate the disorientation with a roller coaster ride! For PEOPLE smart, we got an idea from the commentary listed below to illustrate how being chosen is both an honor and a promise of a lot of work. Then, what do you do with it? To illustrate the idea, think about the nation of Wakanda in Black Panther and the decision of whether or not to emerge it faced in the movie. It sounds… familiar.

• MATH smart – [30:44]
  • the absolute value of numbers
• BODY smart – [32:48]
  • commentary by Amy Oden, Working Preacher
• Music smart again got left on the shelf, but try these songs!
  • Let Me Be Your Light by Christopher Grundy
  • God of My Breathing; lyrics by Richard Colligan
• PEOPLE smart – [34:42]
  • commentary by Timothy Simpson, Political Theology

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash. Used by permission.

Happy New Year! Yeah, okay, I said that on the first Sunday of Advent, but this time the calendar has turned over instead of the Lectionary year. We are back with a new installment of the show, and this week, we are working with the texts for Baptism of the Lord. Each of the Gospels has an account of this story, and this year, we are looking at Matthew’s version. The New Testament lesson from Acts includes Peter’s sermon to Cornelius and his household about the life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Tucked into that sermon is a mention of Jesus’ baptism – maybe as a way to prepare the household for their own baptism. The Psalm is a series of vivid images of God’s power in nature, including God’s voice rolling out over the waters as Jesus heard it when he emerged from the river. And the Isaiah passage is about a servant that God calls in whom God’s spirit delights. We have some interesting ideas for each passage.

We also have some information from our show three years ago, Baptism of the Lord, Year A, 2017. We did not include the Psalm three years ago, so this year’s information is fresh! The other three passages have some intriguing ideas – we hope you’ll find something that will spark your creativity!

We like to find ways to use MATH smart, and for this passage, we think a Venn Diagram is a good way to consider Jesus’ relationship to the people who have come to John for baptism. Yes, that is a PEOPLE smart element. Take a look at the worksheet for an example you could show your congregation – and that is an EYE smart element! I love how these ideas cross over one another. For BODY smart, think about your own baptism and cleansing the next time you are in the shower. We have a few ideas about doves for NATURE smart, and John’s confusion about Jesus coming to him for baptism got one of us nerds thinking about Star Wars for a PEOPLE smart illustration. It works!

• MATH smart – [04:23]
  • see the worksheet for a Venn diagram
• BODY smart – [06:24]
• NATURE smart – [07:58]
  • Doves are cooperative birds
  • Here is some more information about doves and pigeons
  • Balloon animal doves like this or this
• PEOPLE smart – [11:15]

In my poking about for commentary on this passage, I realized I was reading this text as it is used in a variety of places throughout the year. Two of the commentaries below use it for Easter, one in the middle of summer, and one in October. Go figure! Yet, this passage is perennial – it always speaks to us of God’s full intention for humanity and how it often runs counter to our own. David thinks using a number line for a MATH smart illustration will help show Peter’s thinking with his sermon. Food plays a huge role in the entire Peter story and some commentary linked below is a good way to connect BODY smart. We have some quotes for sparking conversation in PEOPLE smart, and in SELF smart, consider how God not showing partiality is as mind blowing to you as it was to Peter.

• MATH smart – [14:32]
  • Does anyone remember using a number line in elementary school?
• BODY smart – [16:41]
  • commentary by Jamie McCallum, The Truett Pulpit
• PEOPLE smart – [18:38]
  • commentary by Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer
  • commentary by Levi Holland, A Plain Account
• SELF smart – [21:16]
  • commentary by Doug Bratt, Center for Excellence in Preaching

We found a MATH smart special effect for this Psalm! It is the same as the idea for Matthew! (We must really like Venn Diagrams.) We also have some thoughts for WORD smart that we did not use for the show. Take a look anyway on the worksheet! NATURE smart runs through this hymn; the power of God in the natural world is evident in storms, but how often do we see God’s gentle power in a rain shower? Speaking of large storms, in PEOPLE smart, take a page out of Mr. Roger’s book and look for the people who come by to help after a big destructive storm blows through.

• WORD smart – not used in the podcast
  • Eugene Lowry, The Homiletical Plot
  • The Hurricane Psalm by Silvia Purdie, Pastor at Cashmere PC in Christchurch NZ
  • The Timeless Psalms by Joan Stott
• MATH smart – [23:58]
  • commentary by Melissa Dow, Political Theology
• MUSIC smart – [27:13] – not on the worksheet
  • you might be able to turn this psalm into a rap
• NATURE smart – [27:30]
• PEOPLE smart – [29:16]

A commentary for this passage led me to consider for WORD smart literary characters who show great strength through their vulnerability. Almost instantly, Samwise Gamgee popped to mind. Can you think of any others? Through the prophet’s words to the people, God is re-focusing their perspective, widening it out to include a much larger scope of what God sees. We have some ideas how you might exhibit this for EYE smart. For BODY smart, breathe for a while and for MUSIC smart, try using the anthem listed below. Connect your NATURE smart people with the rhythm of the seasons and connect your PEOPLE smart people to one another by physical contact.

• WORD smart – [31:48]
  • commentary by Juliana Claassens, Working Preacher
• EYE smart – [33:36]
  • commentary by Amy Oden – Working Preacher
  • purchase a Hoberman Sphere
• BODY smart – [36:33]
• MUSIC smart – [37:02]
  • Leonard Cohen, Anthem
• NATURE smart – [37:27]
  • paying attention to nature’s changes is called phenology
• PEOPLE smart – [39:22]

Image copyright : mashabr from 123rf photos. Used by permission.

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! Advent is behind us, and Christmas is almost here – who else is feeling the pressure to get everything left to be done DONE? As you finish your last minute tasks and prepare for your Christmas Eve services, take time to breathe and remember that God didn’t choose to send the Son into a perfect world. In fact, God sent the Son into a world that was broken, fragmented, soiled, and not at all ready. If that describes your world, take heart. If God had waited for us to get everything ready and “just so,” Jesus would never have come. So, breathe – and be blessed by the Spirit all around you.

Merry Christmas!

The jingly bells sound comes from https://freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/63270/

The wreath image here and superimposed on our logo comes from Angelina Jollivet on Unsplash.

Both are used by permission.

Greetings and welcome! We are running very late this week due to a number of factors, so we decided to concentrate on only the Gospel passage for this Sunday. Matthew starts the story of Jesus’ nativity with the experience of his father, Joseph. We were struck by the ways that Matthew explicitly points to Jesus as Messiah by not only referring to him as Messiah, but by identifying Joseph as Son of David. What other gems are hidden in this well-told story?

If you were really hoping for some illustrations and special effects for Isaiah and Romans, check out our post from three years ago at this link, or just listen to this week’s hybrid episode that includes our new ideas and the show from 2016. We have confirmation biases, a suggestion for using a crib, and finding ways to “embody” God from the Isaiah passage. For Romans, we suggest Mad Libs, John Lennon’s Imagine, and a template for introducing yourself as a servant of Jesus Christ. Check ’em out!

We have used the suggestion to find the meaning of names for WORD smart in the past and think it would be fun to do it again. Look up the names of the people in the passage and the people in your congregation. Let folks spend some time thinking about what their names mean for and about them for some SELF smart time. David thinks that the choice Joseph makes after meeting Gabriel in a dream is a lot like a probability exercise in MATH smart. Check out the links below. For BODY smart, invite people to physically feel Joseph’s shock and dismay at Mary’s news. For MUSIC smart, find songs about Emmanuel. There are many! Do you have the time to make a mashup of them? Or, simply set up a play list and have that running during your fellowship time. Finally, for PEOPLE smart encourage your folks to talk about times when they either talked someone out of a course of action or had someone talk them out of a decision.

• WORD smart – [03:41]
  • Behind the Name
• MATH smart – [04:40]
  • The Monty Hall Problem
  • And here’s a video about it.
• BODY smart – [09:47]
• MUSIC smart – [11:20]
• PEOPLE smart – [12:08]

Photo: The Dream of St. Joseph by Anton Raphael Mengs [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Hey all!! A couple years ago, in our Year B Advent 3 episode, I used four or five versions of the hymn Gaudete to introduce the episode. I had never heard the song before and was so taken by all the different versions, I included links for each. (In that episode’s show notes, click the different words of the lyrics to hear the different versions.) This Sunday in the Advent cycle is the day we celebrate joy, and singing is a great way to exhibit it! We also have examples of the other seven intelligences tucked away into the Isaiah, James, and Matthew passages. Joy can also be a quiet confidence that assures us that God has not forgotten God’s people, even if all evidence at hand suggests otherwise. The photo above may have been better utilized last week for peace – she looks peaceful, doesn’t she? – but I think there is something deeper within her that radiates outward. What do you see?

Don’t forget to take a look at what we did for Year A, Advent 3 in 2016. We did not use the Psalm selection then, so we have new information for it this year, below. Let’s go look at what we’ve got for illustrations and special effects!

Note: David’s schedule crunch led me to volunteer to edit and post the podcast. I’ve done this before while he was traveling for his sabbatical, but it took me a while to remember what to do. If you are someone who notices things, you’ll hear some rough edits and the sound may be different. My apologies, but we got it up and running!!! ~Molly

How unusual to use for the Joy Sunday a passage from Matthew that starts with John the Baptist in jail, doubting Jesus is the One he sacrificed everything for. John sends word to Jesus via his disciples, and Jesus responds to his cousin by telling him to look around him and see evidence of Isaiah’s prophecy coming to pass. What might we see as we look around? Can we see evidence of Jesus’ reign on earth? If not, how might we participate in it so that others can see it?

• EYE smart – [04:52]
• MATH smart – [06:20]
  • the definition of an iteration loop
• MUSIC smart – [09:36]
  • be sure to download the worksheet for David’s poetry

In Advent and in all other times, Christians await the coming of Jesus. It’s not always easy, and as the world devolves around us, we may get a bit un-nerved and wonder if it will happen. The selection from James gives some practical advice to be patient. Each spring, farmers plant their crops not knowing what the harvest will bring and so have learned to work both the land – and to be patient. Good advice!

• EYE smart – [12:28]
  • images of dawn skies
• BODY smart – [13:14]
• NATURE smart – [14:10]
• PEOPLE smart – [15:10]
  • A Star Wars clip from Episode I – The Phantom Menace
• SELF smart – [18:22]
  • practices that might foster patience:
    • Here are a few from Inc.com.
    • These are better from Dave Ursillo.
    • These aren’t bad from Psychology Today.

The final few Psalms are heralds of joy and praise for the good that God has done for the people. Reading these psalms may help foster the patience James advises.

• WORD smart – [21:35]
  •  אָשַׁר (ashar) which means “to go on straight ahead”
• BODY smart – [24:14]
  • An essay by Amy Ziettlow in The Christian Century
• MUSIC smart – [26:02]
  • commentary by James Howell, Working Preacher
  • and his source re: Brueggemann — “Psalm 146:  Psalm for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost,” No Other Foundation, p. 29

Jesus uses imagery from this prophecy to answer his cousin’s inquiry. “What have you seen me do, John?” he seems to say. And, yes – what have we seen? What have we heard? What have we experienced that reminds us God is near and Jesus has come?

• NATURE smart – [29:53]
  • Commentary by Talitha Arnold, The Christian Century
  • Death Valley bloomed spectacularly in 2016.
  • Make your own river in a dry land – sort of like this or this, but smaller.
• PEOPLE smart – [33:13]
• SELF smart – [34:26]

Photo by nappy from Pexels. Used with permission.

And also with you! How many of you automatically said that when you read the title for the episode? The theme for the second Sunday of Advent is peace, traditionally. Which is odd, considering the thundering judgment John the Baptist aims at the Pharisees and Sadducees who come out to the Jordan to check up on what he’s up to out there. “Brood of Vipers” is not usually a greeting one uses for one’s friends. It’s up to Isaiah and Paul writing in Romans to deliver messages of peace. Yet, even there the peace comes through after conflict is resolved through the power and grace of God. No wonder the Psalm devotes so much praise to God for righteousness and justice.

Three years ago, we suggested making animal masks for the Isaiah passage for a PEOPLE smart special effect. We also suggested adding voices one by one to a well known song to demonstrate the unity Paul is after in Romans. For Matthew, David had a colorful graph for MATH smart, and we thought using a balance scales would be a good BODY smart special effect. In other words, you have a lot of stuff to choose from for this Sunday!

If we turn to Scripture expecting simple answers to complex problems, we are kidding ourselves as John the Baptist shows us in this passage. “Repent!” he calls to the people – but how simple is it to turn away from our usual lives, really? John isn’t asking for incremental change either – turn completely, he instructs. Likely, the people streaming out into the wilderness to see him and be baptized had been so beaten down they had nothing to lose so turning from a life of oppression and hopelessness was not difficult. But what about those who are not hard pressed, who in fact, may be looking to protect their piece of turf? John calls them vipers and tells them the ax of judgement is lying at the base of their trees. It seems the message John proclaims is that peace – REAL peace – is coming but we have some work to do in order to prepare for it and fully receive it.

• EYE smart – [05:18]
• MATH smart – [06:18]
  • This video shows the necessities for “making a path straight”.
  • And these videos show the procedure for road construction.
  • Here is another video that recycles old tires to patch roads!
  • commentary by Katie Hines-Shah, The Christian Century
• BODY smart – [08:22]
• MUSIC smart – [11:27]
  • A folk song about Ein Gedi, the oasis along the Dead Sea
• NATURE smart – [12:50]
  • Bear Grylls’ new Netflix show, “You vs. Wild”
• SELF smart – [14:33]
  • commentary by Elizabeth Myer, The SALT+ Project

Some of the commentary I read for this passage thinks that Paul has come to the main point of his letter to the Romans in this chapter. He has carefully laid out who Jesus was and now is and why this matters to those who are children of Israel. He also showed how Jesus’ resurrection flows out into the world of nations and includes them as adopted sons and daughters. Now, he knits the two yarns together into a whole and proclaims that the steadfastness and encouragement of Christ brings all believers together in harmony in order to sing praise to God. Ironically, while we found MUSIC smart illustrations galore, we left that on the shelf in order to bring the intelligences listed below. So check out the worksheet by clicking on the button above to see what else we have!

• WORD smart – [17:50]
  • commentary by Orrey McFarland, Working Preacher
  • The Declaration of Independence
  • The Constitution of the United States of America
  • The Bill of Rights
  • See Our Documents for notable American docs.
• EYE smart – [19:45]
  • Here’s an experiment in 3-D perception and parallax in vision.
• BODY smart – [20:44]
• PEOPLE smart – [22:38]
  • commentary by J.R. Daniel Kirk, Working Preacher
  • the current World Series champs the Nationals had a great vibe according to many reports and fans
• SELF smart – [24:22]
  • commentary by Valerie Nicolet-Anderson

This psalm is a prayer for the king. As I read it, I substituted the word “President” since the United States does not have a king. The prayer for this leader in the psalm is entirely appropriate for anyone who has a leadership role anywhere in any society. We want people who are filled with God’s righteousness and mercy. We want people who will defend the cause of the least of these. We want people who will be like “rain that falls on grass” and whose justice will last “until the moon is no more.” Realistically, politics gets in the way of these noble ideals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t petition God for them to be realized. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

• WORD smart – [27:07]
• MATH smart – [28:36]
  • Organizations seeking legal remedy for the poor and oppressed
    • ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
    • SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center)
    • Poor People’s Campaign
    • ADL (Anti Defamation League)
    • Life After Hate
• MUSIC smart – [29:59]
  • El mensaje que hoy proclamamos Hear the Message We are Now Proclaiming
  • For the World and All Its People (follow the link, then search for the title of the song and a sound clip will be at the top of the list)
  • Justice Shall Flourish in His Time
• PEOPLE smart – [30:54]

Isaiah’s vision of a peaceable kingdom seems so outlandish – small children not being attacked by venomous snakes when they put their hands in their dens? Lions and lambs lying peacefully together? Children leading? He appeals to the “prophetic imagination” in all of us with these images. If we allow ourselves the space and time to simply sit with them, they begin to worm into our hearts bringing with them hope and maybe the desire to do what we can to make this possible. Of course, God doesn’t need our help for any of this, but God wants us to participate in our present, so a future of peace finds root in all of us and flowers for the next generation.

• EYE smart – [32:38]
• BODY Smart – [33:50]
• MUSIC smart – [35:13]
  • Come, Come Emmanuel
• NATURE smart – [36:00]
  • Snake venom has properties that scientists have learned are useful for treating heart attacks
• PEOPLE smart – [37:55]
  • Luke Skywalker vs. the remote
  • Job discrimination starts with reading your name
    • Harvard Business School
    • National Bureau of Economic Research
    • UCLA
    • Bustle.com

Photo copyright : Evgeny Atamanenko from 123rf. Used by permission.

Happy Liturgical New Year!! We are heading into our fifth year of this podcast! After concentrating on two intelligences per week last year, we’ve decided to let the rest of them back in and include as many of the smarts as decide to show up. If you’ve been with us since the beginning, you are an old pro at this and may be checking our work against your own, which is GREAT! If you are just now joining us, we are glad to have you, and we hope using Howard Gardner’s theory (see the link above) will be fruitful for you. We have discovered that the intelligence-based illustrations and special effects have filled out our own preaching and worship in memorable ways.

Don’t forget to go see what we did with these passages three years ago! I was reading through the post and was surprised at how many and how different our ideas were! I guess it goes to show that when you open the gates for creativity, many interesting ideas come crowding in! Plus, we did not include the Psalm last time around, so you have a bonus this time.

We found illustrations and special effects for all eight intelligences! Then, we started recording, going over all of them! Then, we saw that we had gone twenty three minutes with very little ad libbing! So, we decided to pick our favorites and present only them! Suffice it to say, I heartily recommend that you download the worksheet for Isaiah to see what got left on the shelf.

We decided to emphasize EYE, BODY, MUSIC, and PEOPLE smarts. EYE made the cut so we could show you some remarkable artwork that comes from this passage. Plus, David really likes the idea for the special effect. (I may lose my exercise ball.) We kept BODY smart for the sensation of being in a crowd that is all going in one direction with the same purpose. It feels like a tonic to our fractured life these days. MUSIC smart contains a poem and three songs and PEOPLE smart goes back to the concept in EYE smart; exchanging implements of war for implements of creation.

• EYE smart – [04:12]
  • Let Us Beat Our Swords into Plowshares– Soviet artist Evgeny Vuchetich.
  • Guns into Plowshares
• BODY smart – [08:08]
• MUSIC smart – [09:48]
  • Make Me Plow Blade, by Abigail Carroll
  • Come and Find the Quiet Center, Shirley Murray
  • Pleasure Comes, lyric by Ruth Duck
  • Siyahamba performed by Angel City Chorale
  • Also look us up on YouTube – choir starts at 21:45
• PEOPLE smart – [11:54]
  • Lean On Me
  • Peter Murchison and Diane Keefe organized this fundraiser on behalf of The Newtown Foundation, Inc.
  • Here’s a story of a man who traded in an heirloom weapon to RawTools. The book Beating Guns is its story.

We didn’t have nearly as many ideas for the Psalm, but we did not cover the Psalm three years ago, so our contribution has increased six fold! We decided to emphasize only two of the intelligences, so download the worksheet to see what else we had. Like Isaiah, the Psalm encourages believers to ascend to the temple. When pilgrims enter the temple gates, they will know they are in a place of peace. For WORD smart, brainstorm some synonyms for the word “peace.” How does defining the word bring it to life? For PEOPLE smart, consider how we might “seek your good” for the sake of the house of the Lord.

• WORD smart – [16:00]
  • Prayers and liturgies written by Joan Stott at The Timeless Psalms.
• PEOPLE smart – [17:56]

Again, download that worksheet to see the three intelligences that didn’t make the cut. We start with MATH smart and syllogisms. (By the way, Paul is always good for MATH smart illustrations and special effects, especially in Romans. He presented a reasoned argument for Jesus, to which logical thinkers will attend.) I thought David’s description of syllogism sounded a lot like geometry proofs, too. A commentary got me to thinking about how we can use a BODY smart special effect for the season of Advent. We found a song from Taizé for MUSIC smart and David has a great way to illustrate Paul’s argument using a symphony! Another commentary led us to a SELF smart illustration about “senioritis.”

• MATH smart – [20:54]
  • syllogism defined
  • a link to several examples
  • Venn diagram examples
• BODY smart – [23:29]
  • commentary by Jill Duffield
• MUSIC smart – [25:27]
  • Taize Wait for the Lord
• SELF smart – [27:52]
  • Claire McGarry in These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith

We each of us have preached many a sermon and led many a worship service telling folks that while we wait for Jesus’ coming at Advent, we don’t wait passively. In the passage from Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples to remain alert, to pay attention to what’s going on around them, and not to take anything for granted. For MUSIC smart, David found a … um … song that fits the theme (but is terrible) and also has a rhythm game for a special effect that demonstrates how we pay attention. Jesus mentions Noah’s flood, so for NATURE smart, we found some video of flash flooding. The power of the water is an awesome thing to behold. But beware – some of the videos may show people being swept away to their deaths. Finally, for SELF smart, think about how eerie it would be for people around you to suddenly disappear. To illustrate, I relate a story about playing “Sardines” – it is freaky.

• MUSIC smart – [30:50]
  • Caught By Surprise
• NATURE smart – [33:20]
  • Here’s some video of a flash flood in southern Utah that is pretty dramatic.
  • Here is a video of some vastly more devastating flash floods. (WARNING: possible death happens here)
  • The Big Thompson Canyon flood of 2013. My mother lives near here and when I went to visit her and my father the month after this went through, the amount of destruction was simply jaw dropping. Six years later, the road is open again but there are massive rocks in the river that weren’t there before.
• SELF smart – [35:55]

Photo by it’s me neosiam from Pexels. Used with permission.

Hey everyone! We’re at the end! Thank you for sticking with us through another Lectionary year and another Year C cycle. We tried something different by emphasizing only two smarts per week, and while we think it was a worthwhile endeavor, we are going to go back to finding illustrations and special effects for any of the eight intelligences in each passage for the next year. I think we trained our brains to look for the smarts, but now we want to allow for more creativity.

For this Sunday three years ago, we included a prayer for preachers stepping into pulpits for the first time after the 2016 General Election. Was that really only three years ago? It seems like a lot longer. It is still relevant, unfortunately. Download the worksheets for ideas for all eight intelligences.

For the last time, we will concentrate on only two of the eight intelligences. This week, we finish up with BODY and SELF smart. We describe them a bit in the podcast, and if you have not yet clicked the link on the top right corner of the page to read more about Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory, go do it!

This passage is difficult to read and to hear, especially for those of us who are charged as shepherds of flocks. The kings of Judah were more interested in their crowns than in the people they ruled. If we are honest, we hear a rebuke about our own shortcomings and errors in ministry. We also hear God’s promise that no matter how badly we’ve scattered our sheep, God will find them and bring them home. For a lighter image in BODY smart, consider God as a professional wrestler getting ready to take care of things. Using a broad definition of sheep, for SELF smart consider the identity of the scattered ones. I also have some ideas for WORD, NATURE, and PEOPLE smart.

• BODY smart – [07:46]
• SELF smart – [11:16]
  • commentary by Lori Niles, A Plain Account
  • Bonus NATURE and PEOPLE smart ideas on the worksheet!!

This psalm is a hymn to God’s rule for the people – He is the Good Shepherd King. This psalm has lovely images throughout, but verse 10 is the one that ends up on people’s walls. “Be still and know that I am God.” For SELF smart, take the psalm at its word and allow time for people to simply sit in stillness. If that might be too much for some, include some EYE and MUSIC smart elements. Being still may be a challenge for BODY smart people, so make certain to include opportunities to experience how being still feels in the body. David read my mind for an EYE smart idea and has some thoughts for NATURE smart.

• SELF smart – [15:09]
  • Bonus MUSIC and EYE smart ideas!
• BODY smart – [17:45]
  • Bonus EYE and NATURE

Paul emphasizes that Jesus is first and worthy of the crown. There have been others who have been worthy of crowns; kings, queens, even athletes. David points out in BODY smart, some athletes can come in first place even though they finish a race in second place. Click on the link below to read about some of them. For SELF smart, try a guided meditation that includes a large dollop of BODY smart; a guided meditation about being an “embodied soul” and an “ensouled body.” If you choose to do this, I recommend starting at verse 15 to the end and then going back to the beginning of the selection.

• BODY smart – [23:17]
  • Christ is before ALL things – contrast this with Ashton Eaton and other Olympic decathlon winners
  • Bonus EYE smart idea – you know what to do.
• SELF smart – [27:24]

People may be a little shaken to hear this bit of the crucifixion read the week before Thanksgiving. Yet, if we are looking at themes through the four passages, the idea of crowns and glory are on full display with this passage. Who is our King? For SELF smart, use the two quotes from the commentary listed below and ask people to answer the question David Lose asks, “What kind of King do you want?” For BODY smart, invite people to stand and assume the posture of Jesus on the cross. Or, use the Reader’s Theatre script linked below.

• SELF smart – [32:00]
  • commentary by Scott Hoezee, Center for Excellence in Preaching
  • commentary by David Lose, ….In the Meantime
• BODY smart – [35:37]
  • Bonus MUSIC Behold the Lamb of God; an instrumental version from Quincy Jones’ Soulful Celebration
  • also, a version from Handel’s Messiah
  • Bonus PEOPLE smart – READERS THEATRE

Photo Copyright : Allan Swart. Used by permission via 123RF

Hey everyone! Welcome to the last episode of Ordinary Time, Year C! Next week is Reign of Christ Sunday which simultaneously wraps up the year and welcomes in the next one. This week, we finish the long season begun in June with a psalm of praise, a fiery warning, encouragement to keep doing what is good, and Jesus’ response to a question about future events. We did the same texts three years ago so you can go see what other illustrations and special effects are on the menu from that show. For today, we’ll take a look at the passages and consider how each one addresses our habits and attitudes – which ones will survive intact in the egg basket and which ones will be broken in order for God to make something new out of them?

In the past couple weeks, I’ve been weakening and allowing other intelligences into the house when I open the door for the one I’m supposed to be emphasizing – I can’t help it, they’re so insistent! (And often pretty good!) So this week, while I do my best to pay attention to PEOPLE smart, NATURE and MUSIC creep in and sit in the corner, trying not to laugh. On the other hand, David is bravely sticking with the plan and has some very interesting ways of using MATH smart for the texts. Download the worksheet below to see what didn’t make the cut for the podcast!

In the words of Joey Lawrence, “Whoa.” At least that was my reaction to verse one in this selection. Yet, the image of fire burning evildoers to oblivion – while graphic – is not the end. In the very next verse, new life is promised. Taking a page out of NATURE smart, ask your congregation to consider ways that humans are refined through heat and pressure (difficult jobs, challenging relationships, adolescence, etc.). What new thing came out of that time?

For MATH smart, David looked up some experiments done in Australia and California about combustion. In one study, scientists examined how leaves decomposition impact flammability. In the other one, they measured temperature and time until combustion. The connection to Malachi’s vision is metaphorical – how does one’s ethical composition and spiritual orientation determine flammability?

• PEOPLE smart – [timestamp]
  • Commentary by Fred Gaiser, Working Preacher
  • Commentary by Bruce Cromwell, A Plain Account
  • Soulful Celebration
  • Bugs Bunny clip
• MATH smart – [timestamp]
  • Here is an interesting experiment from Australia comparing the decomposition rate of various types of leaf litter and the flammability of the same various species of leaves.
  • Here is another study on ignition times and ignition temperatures of various species of plants from the California chaparral.

Sometimes the logic element of MATH smart really gets in the way. And other times, its nature can be used to great effect for a jarring illustration. David suggests that praise is illogical; or at least it steps beyond the factual and specific that MATH smart people find energizing. So, to illustrate how to use this psalm of praise, consider whether or not we would burst into worship and song and dance inside the US Supreme Court when the justices render an opinion. Not very likely. Yet, the psalmist sings and encourages musicians to play joyfully for God’s just judgements.

In the commentary linked below, James Howell says: “Praise is our amazement at God and God’s greatness, our recognition of the power and tenderness of the creator. […] Praise doesn’t ask “What have you done for me lately?” but instead exclaims “How great Thou art!”” For a PEOPLE smart special effect, give your congregation some time to write their own psalm of praise, recognizing that individuals will have different levels of personal involvement in this task. At the end of your service, ask everyone to say at least one verse of their psalm – at the same time – as the benediction!

• MATH smart – [timestamp]
• PEOPLE smart – [timestamp]
  • commentary by James Howell, Working Preacher

This passage from Thessalonians has PEOPLE smart infused throughout it. These verses are all about the relationships people have with one another in this particular fellowship. Paul has a great deal of advice and startles us with the command in verse ten. Up to that point, folks are likely unified in agreement with the apostle and then suddenly, we begin looking for the idlers among us. Verse thirteen is the key to interpretation; those who are not work to model Jesus’ grace, mercy, and compassion are the idlers. This takes the steam out of our accusations, doesn’t it?

For MATH smart, pull out one of those mystical numbers games that go around from time to time. We have two linked below. The idea behind them is that people are so distracted by the answer, they don’t notice the careful manipulation of the formula. In a similar way, we get sidetracked by verse ten and forget to pay attention to and obey verse thirteen.

• PEOPLE smart – [timestamp]
  • Commentary by Edward Pillar, Working Preacher (We both used this!)
• MATH smart – [timestamp]
  • Magical 111
  • Age-birth-year

Once again, MATH smart is a challenge! That is until David recognized that the logic in this passage is not our logic, but Jesus’ logic. The disciples are surprised to hear him say the massive temple stones will be thrown down and want to know when this will happen. Jesus doesn’t really answer that question. His response to them goes in a variety of directions and to illustrate that, David supplies a recipe for Jesus’ version of scrambled eggs. Check out the worksheet for yourself!

Jesus is re-directing the disciples’ focus from their own curiosity to what he wants them to be doing until the temple falls and afterward. Far from inviting us believers to adopt a superior attitude about our relationship as those “in” with Jesus, this passage tells us that we will lose all privilege and be “hated by all because of [Jesus’] name”. We will join the marginalized, the outcast, the reviled, and the despised for Jesus’ sake. For PEOPLE smart, break your congregation into smaller groups and have them ponder the following: Who are the people that we would be willing to be identified with for the sake of Jesus’ gospel of righteousness, justice, truth, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness? Who are we willing to lose all our eggs for so that God can feed others?

• MATH smart – [timestamp]
• PEOPLE smart – [timestamp]
  •  famous scene in Spartacus

Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash. Used by permission.

Hello everyone! Welcome to the show notes! The end is in sight; we have one more Sunday in Ordinary Time, Christ the King Sunday, and then a whole new year of illustrations and special effects in Year A. Whew! This Sunday, the passages are all focused on the future. Job knows that the one who will vindicate him lives, but he really wants to see this with his own eyes. The Psalmist presents himself as righteous and pleads for an audience with God in order to be preserved from enemies. Paul tells the Thessalonians that while there needs to be a time of chaos and lawlessness, don’t lose heart because Jesus’ victory over death will see them through it. And in Luke, the Sadducees ridicule the idea of resurrection and Jesus responds that their narrow view of life and death is simply inadequate. God is not deterred by temporal boundaries.

Three years ago, our podcast episode for the week was called Shake it Up! We used the Haggai passage and have different illustrations and special effects for the 2 Thessalonians and Luke passages. In other words, we have more to offer at the link!

{By the way, there is some ambient noise in this week’s episode. One of our kids was home for a visit and was doing laundry. What are you gonna do? Sorry for any distraction it may cause. –D2–}

This week, David looks for ways to illustrate NATURE smart, focusing on ways to “bring the outside inside”. I emphasize EYE smart, which encourages using visual stimulation as well as opening the “inner eye” of imagination. Download the worksheets below and if you haven’t yet, click on the links above to read more about the eight intelligences.

It’s not easy being Job. At this point in his story, he is hard pressed to remain faithful to God. The verse “I know that my redeemer lives” is used often in funeral liturgies, but Job is not dead. His life is full of suffering, but he refuses to give up on his hope that “at the last he will stand upon the earth” and “I will see him with my eyes”. Wow. To bring NATURE smart into this, consider using the advertisements from the SPCA about rescued animals. The underlying message of these advertisements is that ONLY YOU CAN HELP – because domesticated animals trust humans. GIVE NOW. Job carries within himself that spark of hope that God is still out there. For EYE smart, think about the way words or images are carved in rock as testament to life, even if that life is no longer around. I have a couple other ideas, too.

• NATURE smart – [07:43]
  • Sarah McLachlan SPCA commercials and if you can stand it, here’s another
• EYE smart – [09:30]
  • etched in stone:
    • Register Rock, ID
    • Three Rivers Petroglyph, NM
  • commentary by Brian Jones and Kathryn Schifferdecker at Working Preacher

In the linked commentary for this passage, Suomala writes that the intimate connection between the Psalmist and God is later linked by Jesus in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11. This is a WORD smart illustration, for sure, but being the “apple of the eye” is also an intimate connection where the “apple” insists on remaining central in the vision of the “eye”. Try demonstrating this with the special effect I suggest. For NATURE smart, consider how “steps hold fast” while out amid creation and its slippy spots.

• EYE smart – [14:37]
  • commentary by Karla Suomala at Working Preacher
  • How the English translation of the Hebrew word “pupil” got around to apple is not entirely clear (WORD smart!)
• NATURE smart – [17:53]
  • God’s care is like hiking with a walking pole so you don’t slip

To bring NATURE smart into this passage, compare Paul’s intention to root the Thessalonians in Jesus’ resurrection to the way oak trees (and other tap root trees) root themselves in the ground. David has some very interesting links about the way and the reason they do this below. For EYE smart, consider the two parts of the selection as poles holding up a tent – and then build it, right there in front of everyone!

• NATURE smart – [22:33]
  • An oak tree starts with a deep tap root that then develops a broad network of lateral roots.
  • more information about root networks in an article at deeproot.com
• EYE smart – [26:27]
  • commentary by Mariam Kamell at Working Preacher

The English word “life” in this text is the Greek word “zoe” which is distinguished from “bios” by a quality of living. God is the God of quality life! Of course, that quality is not due to anything material but by relationships. I have a special effect that I hope will demonstrate this; you may need to tweak it a bit for the fundamental meaning to come through. For NATURE smart, substitute the woman and her husbands with caterpillars and butterflies. Maybe even use these to demonstrate my idea for EYE smart! I love it when the intelligences “talk” to each other!

• EYE smart – [31:12]
• NATURE smart – [33:01]
  • download the worksheet to see how this passage might be re-interpreted using NATURE smart

Photo by Wendy Wei from Pexels. Used by permission.